FAQAbout MuckFest® MS

MuckFest MS is the FUN mud run with the best obstacles. No special training or equipment required: just bring a pair of sneakers and your sense of humor. We run on a well-designed 5K course, featuring awesome, super-sized obstacles and mud from start to finish. This event is built for laughs, but we’re also on a serious mission to support people living with multiple sclerosis and to bring us closer to a world free of MS. 100% of fundraising dollars go to the National Multiple Sclerosis Society.

Top MuckFest MS FAQ

Our primary goal is that this event maximizes the opportunity to raise critical funds for MS research and life-changing programs and services for people affected by MS. With this goal in mind, adjustments were made to adequately allocate our precious resources in a way that is efficient, effective and maximizes the fundraising impact MuckFest MS will make in the MS movement.

Approximately 10 to 14 days before the event, we will manually assign specific wave/start times, doing everything possible to keep teams together and starting at the same time. We will notify participants via email when their wave/start times are posted in the Participant Center. If you register after the assignments are made and before online registration closes, then your wave/start time assignment will appear in your Participant Center on Thursday, two days before the event.

Runners should wear closed-toe sneakers only; no cleats of any kind are permitted. Wear clothes that you don’t mind getting mucky! You should wear clothes that won't restrict your movement and will provide protection as you move through the obstacles. Pants or shorts are acceptable. Many muckers wear thin work or athletic gloves to better grip obstacles and ropes. Peruse our event photos from last year to get a good sense of how muckers dress for success out on the course.

We have a Key Check area that uses a tag from your registration bib to identify your belongings. We have limited space in Key Check, so please only bring what is absolutely necessary to store. We recommend you leave valuables and the rest of your belongings either in the car or with a spectator.

All of our MuckFest MS events are in fields so there is not flat terrain. We are not ADA standard accessible, as the nature of the event means wheelchairs will have to move through grass and dirt. However, we do our best to make portions of the event site accessible to people with disabilities.

Participants must be over the age of 12 on the day of the event. Participants who are 12 to 17 must be accompanied by a parent or on-event guardian. The ratio of guardian to minor-aged runners is 1 to 3. The free Lil' Muckers area is designed for kids ages 5 to 11. Please form a team for you and your minor-aged runners so that we will be sure to assign you all to the same start time.

You are able to give an adult friend/relative that is registered to run permission to act as the guardian for your child. The parent or guardian agrees to the waiver upon registration giving the minor the ability to participate and be accompanied by an adult at all times.

The pricing structure is based on how many days out from the event you register. Check out your City Page for the current price of your MuckFest MS event. Registration fee does not include a processing fee. This processing fee, which includes handling and insurance, will be added to your total charge at the completion of registration. Processing fee is subject to change.

Wave FAQs

No. We are unable to reserve wave/start times for individuals or teams—no exceptions. However, there are fundraising rewards that you and your team can earn in which you can choose your wave/start time.

Approximately 10 to 14 days before the event, participants will receive an email notifying them that their wave assignments are available in the Participant Center. It’s best not to plan your day until you receive your wave assignment as start times can begin as late as mid to late afternoon.

Yes! In most cases, teams that register at least two weeks out from the event will be placed in the same wave time. When an event day reaches total runner capacity, it may not be possible for teams to be assigned the same wave/start time. Runners will be notified when an event day has reached capacity.

Participants who sign up after the two week out mark will receive their wave assignment email on the Thursday before the event. It’s best not to plan your day until you receive your wave assignment as start times can begin as late as mid to late afternoon.

Log in to your Participant Center and click the link “Change Team Membership.” Join a team by searching Team Name, Team Company, Captain First Name, or Captain Last Name, select and confirm. You may also change to another team by following the same steps. To remove yourself from a team, select Participate as an Individual. Contact us.

In most cases, teams that register at least two weeks out from the event will be placed in the same wave time. Runners will receive an email 10 to 14 days out from the event informing your team of your wave time. Please note that when an event day reaches total runner capacity, it may not be possible for teams to be assigned the same wave/start time. Runners will be notified when an event day has reached capacity.

We don't require you to fundraise, but we will love you if you do! Please support the National MS Society with a donation, and ask your family, friends and neighbors to support your participation in this event with a donation as well. New to fundraising? Get some great ideas here.

Your Team Page allows people to see your team name, team fundraising goal, team information, and team members! Donations made from the Team Page are considered team gifts and are applied to your overall team fundraising total. Team donations are not divided among individual team members and are not applied to individual fundraising totals. Visit your Team Page through the link within the Participant Center.

Pre-Muck Event Day FAQs

Plan to arrive at the site approximately 60 minutes before your wave start time. (Due to off-site parking and shuttles to the New Jersey event site, runners in New Jersey only should arrive 90 minutes before their wave start time.) This will give you enough time to check-in, get your bib, and meet up with your team or spectating family and friends.

You should wear clothes that won't restrict your movement and will provide protection as you move through the obstacles. Remember you and your clothes will get super mucky! Many muckers wear thin work or athletic gloves to better grip obstacles and ropes. We love team attire and think muckers in costumes are extra awesome.

Make sure to wear closed-toe sneakers or gym shoes. No shoes with cleats of any kind may be worn on the course. We work with Sneakers4Funds to send your gently worn, used shoes to micro-enterprises in developing nations around the world. Your shoes create jobs and sustainability for individuals in these communities.

We have a Key Check area that uses a tag from your registration bib to identify your belongings. We have limited space in Key Check, so please only bring what is absolutely necessary to store. We recommend you leave valuables and the rest of your belongings either in your car or with a spectator.

Registration and Check-in opens at 7:30 a.m., and we advise you to arrive at the site approximately 60 minutes before your wave start time. (Due to off-site parking and shuttles to the New Jersey event site, runners in New Jersey only should arrive 90 minutes before their wave start time.) This will give you enough time to check-in, get your bib, and meet up with your team or spectating family and friends.

Parking depends on the event location. Some sites have on-site parking and some utilize shuttles to bring you from the off-site parking lot to the event. If you visit your city page here a week before the event, you will see the parking information. This information will also be shared in the pre-event information email which you will receive the week of the event.

This is dependent upon the site. If you visit your city page here a week before the event, you will see the parking information for your event. This information will also be shared in the pre-event information email which you will receive the week of the event.

We work with Sneakers4Funds to send your gently worn, used shoes to micro-enterprises in developing nations around the world. Your shoes create jobs and sustainability for individuals in these communities.

Your local chapter of the National MS Society will have MuckFest MS participant t-shirts at their office the week following the event for anyone who forgot to pick up their shirt. Find your local chapter here.

We do everything we can to plan for the festival areas to be accessible to all spectators. If you visit the event city page here a week before the event, you will see any specific accessibility information. Please note that all areas may not be accessible due to terrain.

Volunteer time commitments are dependent upon your assigned position and the event for which you are registered. We ask that you stay for the full length of your shift. Click here to learn more about volunteering for MuckFest MS.

You’re in luck (or muck)! You’ll be able to register as a volunteer and upgrade for just $25 to the “Volunteer Fun & Run Package.” Volunteers will run in the last wave of the day after completing their volunteer shift. Sign up soon, because there’s a limited number of spaces at each MuckFest MS! Please note: Volunteer Fun & Run registrations will not be accepted on the day of the event. The last day to register for the Volunteer Fun & Run Package will be on the Wednesday before the event. Click here for more information and to register.

The National Multiple Sclerosis Society provides vital programs and services to people living with MS and fuels cutting-edge MS research into the cause, treatment and cure for this chronic disease of the central nervous system. Read more about the life-changing work of the National Multiple Sclerosis Society here.

There is no individual fundraising minimum, but please support the National MS Society with a donation, and ask your family, friends and neighbors to support your participation in this event with a donation as well.

There is no team fundraising minimum, but please support the National MS Society with a donation, and ask your family, friends and neighbors to support your team's participation in this event with a donation as well.

You can qualify for rewards until 11:59 pm the Wednesday before your event. Only confirmed donations qualify towards this total. Check the Participant Center to see where you and your team rank for fundraising.

Donations FAQs

Log in to the Participant Center with your username and password. Click the "My Progress" tab and you will be able to view your donor list and the amounts donated. Make sure to thank your donors; you can send your own email or use our pre-written Thank You email in the Email Center section of the Participant Center.

Donating online is the fastest way to submit donations. Please do not mail in cash contributions. You can write out a personal check for any cash you receive. Checks should be made out to the National MS Society. Please put your name on the memo line and include a donation form with each check. To turn in your donations, you can mail or drop off your donations at the chapter office. You can search for your local chapter office here. You can also drop off donations on the day of your MuckFest MS event.

If we receive an offline donation that does not include the donor's name and mailing address, it will be credited to your account as anonymous. To update this information, you contact your local chapter office here.

Donors who make an online donation via our website will receive an email confirmation that can be used for tax purposes. Donors of offline check or credit card contributions will receive an email confirmation when the donation is entered into the system.

No. We cannot split donations among multiple participants. However, if the participants are on the same team, you can make a team donation that will be credited to the entire team, but not split among the team members.

Please make sure that every donation is accompanied by a donation form from the local National Multiple Sclerosis Society. You can also put your name or your participant ID# in the memo line on all checks.

All registration fees and donations are non-returnable and non-transferable. Your donations allow the National MS Society to fund cutting-edge MS research and provide vital programs and services for people living with MS, regardless of your participation in the event.

All donations are tax deductible in the same calendar year your donation was processed to the extent allowed by law. Please work with your tax professional to determine what deductions you are eligible for.

About My Account FAQs

First, log in to the Participant Center with your username and password. Once you're logged in, you will see a link at the top of the page called "Update My Profile." You will be able to change your contact information, email address, username and password. All changes will be made to your account immediately.

A personal page is your personal fundraising space on our website for you to advertise your participation in MuckFest MS and fundraise on behalf of your local chapter of the National MS Society. Your page has a default image and text, but you can edit your Personal Page by logging in to the Participant Center with your username and password. Many participants customize their pages with their own stories and photos.

Log in to the Participant Center with your username and password. On the bottom right side of your account home page is the location to modify your personal fundraising goal. Enter your new goal and submit the changes.

There is no adult supervision in the Lil' Muckers area. Parents or guardians must be with children at all times, and participants may not drop off kids at the Lil' Muckers area to be watched by event staff while they run the course.